News

Nurses believe in fast and fair decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the law adjusting their wages. Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives expects from it the stability of Slovak healthcare system, quality health care and social certainty for healthcare professionals. In reaction to the requirements of nurses the act on minimum wage claims of nurses and midwives was created and entered into force in April. Its effectiveness is, however, suspended by the July decision of Constitutional Court. 

Cancelling of loyalty systems in pharmacies as well as the change of conditions for network pharmacies are according to Antimonopoly Office not justified enough. Newly it will not be possible to provide one person with the permit for providing of pharmaceutical care in more than one pharmacy. Office considers this as a significant intervention to the business environment, which will disable businessmen to grow. According to the Office the submitter also gave no reasons that led him to such a strict form of regulation.

Patients complain that they cannot chose the specialists, which they want so free choice of doctor set by the law only works on the paper. Doctors argue that they cannot accept new clients due to health insurance companies. These each month commit a package of performances that will be covered. Therefore they are refusing patients and sending them to the outpatient clinics in the place of their residence. Health insurance companies defend their approach and say that specialists sometimes provide unnecessary examinations. Ministry of Health and health insurance companies also argue that free choice of doctor in Slovakia real exists. Therefore in the case of its violating Ministry recommends dissatisfied patient to complain.

Zuzana Zvolenská in online interview with readers of daily Pravda stated that for Ministry is essential that all money collected in health insurance will be directed to the healthcare system. As she further said, in the years 2006 to 2011 private health insurance companies reached the profit in amount of € 500 million, while newly all this money will be returned where they belong – to payments of health care of citizens.

International Council of Nurses in the letter for President of Slovak Chamber of Nurses, Mária Lévyová, supported the calling of Chamber for fair solution of current situation in regard of nurses. Council has designated the situation with nurses as disastrous. It therefore called for constructive cooperation by the protection of health of people by ensuring of adequate number of nurses and midwives, who will provide the care for fair wage and by favourable conditions. 

Private health insurance company Dôvera has reported for the first half of this year historically lowest profit, € 200 000. This time last year this insurance company reached the profit in amount of € 18 million, by the end of last year it was € 39 million. Union health insurance company and Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company) got, compared to previous years, significantly better. Both insurance companies, however, deny that this was at the expense of unpaid care for patients. 

From the next year the pharmaceutical companies should inform about which doctors they plan to meet, or which they have already met. Lists should be published on the website of Ministry of Health (MoH). Doctors and pharmaceutical companies do not like this proposal involved in the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals. Doctors are afraid that this measure will disturb the personal data protection. They also claim that amendment does not clearly define the aim, which the MoH wants to reach. Association of the Suppliers of Pharmaceuticals and Slovak Association of Pharmaceutical Companies also stated that such a collection and publishing of personal data represents an unauthorized intrusion into privacy. 

Union health insurance company considers the promoted opinions of some civil initiatives and politicians calling for departure of policyholders from private health insurance companies as unacceptable and against the rules of fair competition. Member of Parliament Daniel Lipšic (independent) and civil initiation Vízia 21 called public for migration of policyholders to state General Health Insurance Company in the frame of plan to create only one health insurance company. Union considers as very unfortunate, if the discussion on the future of public health insurance narrows only to an effort to solve the problems with financial group owning one of the health insurance companies. 

Policyholders of private health insurance company Dôvera may in these days expect the overpayments from annual settlement of health insurance for the last year. Through the overpayments the insurance company is returning more than € 17.7 million. Until the end of August Dôvera has sent to its policyholders more than 124 000 annual settlements, result of which is an overpayment or underpayment.   

Healthcare system is according to Minister Zuzana Zvolenská not only a black hole, in which money disappears, although she admits, that there never will be enough money. Currently besides negotiating with Minister of Finance about the reasonable amount of money for health care, Minister of Health addicts herself to the preparation for creation of unitary insurance system, analysis of charges in hospitals and clinics and examines whether to complete the hospital complex Rázsochy, or not.